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345 / Recently extinct
Cyprus dwarf elephant
Palaeoloxodon cypriotes
Island scarcity shrank a giant-elephant lineage to about one meter at the shoulder.
- Time range
- About 70,000–12,000 years ago
- Final stage
- Latest Pleistocene–earliest Holocene
- Geographic range
- Mediterranean island · Cyprus
01 / DEFINITION & ECOLOGY
What was Cyprus dwarf elephant?
Cyprus dwarf elephant (Palaeoloxodon cypriotes) was an extinct organism known from About 70,000–12,000 years ago, with a range in Mediterranean island · Cyprus.
Life and ecology
This dwarf straight-tusked elephant browsed scrub and open woodland with reduced food needs.
02 / DISAPPEARANCE
Why did Cyprus dwarf elephant disappear?
Postglacial change and early human activity may both have affected it.
03 / EVIDENCE
How do scientists know about Cyprus dwarf elephant?
Cave teeth, skull and limb bones demonstrate extreme island dwarfism.
04 / SOURCES & FURTHER READING
Check the source record
Use the scientific name to compare taxonomy, occurrence records and the fossil record. Database coverage and classifications may differ.
05 / REVISION HISTORY
How has this record changed?
- Verified authoritative entity sources and added three responsive reconstruction sizes.
- Initial bilingual species record published.
06 / CORRECTIONS & ADDITIONS